


Games of the Heart

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: First Times, M/M, Other: See Story Notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 08:49:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/796241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim doesn't like Blair's answer to his problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Games of the Heart

## Games of the Heart

by XFreak

Author's website:  <http://www.e-fic.com/~xfreak/>

All things The Sentinel belong to Pet Fly Productions and Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended. This work of fiction is purely for enjoyment and no money is being made from it.

This story originally appeared in Angel on My Mind III by Angelwings Press. Feedback and constructive criticism of all kinds are welcome. Many thanks to Grey for beta reading. Please assume that safe sex precautions have been taken.   


Some language, nothing excessive. This story is set after DEOBS, but there are no direct spoilers. There are spoilers for Warriors, Remembrance, and S2.   


* * *

Blair entered the loft to find Jim standing at the balcony window, palming his football. "Hey, man. What's up?" 

The older man turned around, fingers splayed wide over the surface of the ball. "I thought you had a date tonight." A faintly annoyed expression darkened his face. 

"Yeah, I did. A dinner date with a friend." 

"With you, a dinner date with a friend usually means not to expect you home." 

Blair laughed, the knowing one that said he was onto your game. "You know, the last time I came home to find you and your football there in a dimly lighted apartment..." He pointed at the lone lamp burning. "...you were dealing with some pretty heavy stuff." 

"What are you getting at, Sandburg?" 

Holding his hands up with the palms toward the older man, he simply asked, "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," Jim snapped, gripping the ball harder. 

"Then why are you clinging to that thing like a security blanket?" 

"What is it with you, Chief?" The exasperated words cut through the air. 

"I'm concerned." 

"Don't be." Jim threw the football onto the couch on his way to the kitchen. Retrieving a beer, he gruffly asked, "You want one?" 

"No, I'm fine. I had some wine with dinner." 

Nodding, Jim shut the refrigerator, leaning back against the door. "So, who did you see tonight?" 

"Carissa." 

"You're not... ah... interested in her?" A curious tone belied his uncomfortable expression. 

Eyebrows drawing together suspiciously, Blair crossed his arms. "I can keep it in my pants from time to time. I happen to believe that a man and a woman can be friends without bringing sex into it." 

A glint of mischief shone in Jim's eyes. "Since when?" 

"Seriously, man. What's up with you?" 

Jim's smile died a premature death. "Forget it." Walking over to the couch, he sat down and picked up the remote, pressing the power button. 

Rolling his eyes, Blair followed his friend's path, plucking the remote from his fingers and shutting the TV off. "Don't even try it, Ellison." 

"What do you want from me?" 

"The truth." The younger man glared down at his friend. 

Running his index finger in circles around the mouth of his beer bottle, Jim shrugged. "I was just kind of thinking when you came in." 

Blair sat down on the coffee table, ignoring the deadpan look Jim gave him. "What about?" 

"Stuff." 

Blair smiled fondly at his friend's evasiveness. "I know it's not easy for you to talk about things, but could you be just a _tad_ more specific?" 

"It's just..." Jim shook his head, bringing a hand up to massage the back of his neck. "Never mind." He got up, forcing Blair to move back in order to avoid colliding with his groin, and then walked back over to the window. 

"Jim, it's me you're talking to here." 

Raising one arm and resting it on the glass, the older man leaned his forehead against it. He stood in that position for a long while, finally speaking quietly. "I wonder sometimes if I have some sort of sign on my forehead." 

"What do you mean?" His friend's vulnerable tone set off all his alarms. 

"You know, 'Sucker.'" Jim's voice dripped self-reproach. 

"I don't understand." 

He turned to face Blair, a deep sadness swimming in the depths of his eyes. "It seems like every time I get involved with someone, they dupe me. I must be some kind of stupid fool or something." 

"No, Jim. You're a good man." 

"That's the sentinel thing," he denied, shaking his head. 

"No, that's the Jim Ellison thing. You were a cop before your senses resurfaced. You were in the army before that. Hell, you were helping the Chopec before your senses even came back online." 

"So, what are you saying?" 

"Maybe you're just looking in the wrong places." 

"Maybe." Staring into empty space, he shrugged. "I don't know where else to look." 

"A lot of your love interests are from your past, Jim. Maybe you should concentrate on the here and now, you know, and look closer to home." Blair rose from the coffee table, moving to stand in front of the other man, only a couple of feet separating them. 

"Closer to home. Did you have someone in particular in mind?" 

Blair swallowed hard. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did. I said closer _to_ home, but what I meant was _at_ home." 

Squinting his eyes, Jim scrutinized his friend. "Chief, you're the only one that lives with me." 

"Yeah. I'm it." He shrugged, looking away and bouncing on his toes once. 

"You're a _guy_." 

The younger man nodded, his lips twitching in a nervous tic. "Yep, last time I checked." 

"I'm a cop. Are you following where I'm going with this?" 

Looking sharply up at his friend, Blair said, "I've seen you check men out almost more than women." 

"I've had enough of this conversation." 

"Go ahead and run, Jim." 

He did just that, grabbing his keys and jacket on his way out the door. 

* * *

Chuckling to himself, Simon looked up from his coffee when his friend didn't answer him. The other man sat across the booth from him, staring, but not seeing. "Jim?" he prodded, not even a flinch in response. He waved his hand in front of the vacant eyes, snapping his fingers loudly as he barked, "Ellison!" 

Jumping, Jim blinked twice and focused on him. "Simon?" 

"You haven't heard a word I've said." 

"No." Jim looked down at the cup cradled between his large hands. 

"You know, I can think of better ways to spend and evening than talking to myself." The brisk words chilled the air. 

"I apologize, Simon. I guess I'm just a little distracted." 

"No kidding." 

"Did you ever have one of those days when suddenly the world is not the place you thought it was?" Jim's pale blue eyes pinned Simon with sincere curiosity. 

"Too damn many times to count. Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Not really." 

"Why am I not surprised?" Simon rolled his eyes up toward the ceiling as if praying for patience. "Why don't you go home and talk to Sandburg then?" 

Jim grinned fondly. "Those could very well be the scariest words I've ever heard." 

"I thought that was when the kid told you to trust him." 

"Trust him, talk to him." Jim shook his head. "What's the difference? If life in the Sandburg Zone looks easy, let me assure you that it's an illusion." 

* * *

The shrill ring of his cell phone pulled Blair abruptly out of a pleasant dream. "Huh?" he blurted as he thumped onto the carpeted floor in front of the couch. Grabbing for the phone, he answered with a whisper in an effort not to wake his gracious host. "Hello?" 

"Sandburg, where the hell are you?" 

"Jim?" 

"No, the Lone Ranger. Who else do you think would be calling at... 1:00am?" 

"Wha're you so pissed about, man?" He pressed a palm against his forehead. "Wait. Never mind. Stupid question." 

" _Where_ are you?" 

"At Sam's." 

"Well, that sure as hell didn't last long. How many hours has it been since--" 

The waking world returning, angry words tumbled from his mouth. "I'm sleeping on the couch, Jim. I told you I could keep it in my pants." 

"Get your ass home, Chief. Now." 

Blair lay there gaping at his phone, a dial tone the only sound. 

* * *

As he stepped through the door, Blair saw Jim sitting on the couch waiting for him. Arms crossed and nostrils flaring, he still had only one lamp burning. "Hey." 

His tone deadly quiet, the other man spoke. "Would you care to explain why I came home to an empty apartment?" 

"What did you want me to do? Sit here and wring my hands in distress while you were out doing God knows what?" 

"I went for coffee with Simon." 

"You didn't." Blair shook his head as he backed away until colliding with the door. 

"I didn't tell him, Chief. That would've been over the line." 

"I'll tell you what was over the line, Jim. You running out of here like your ass was on fire. That's what." 

"Well, it _was_ a bit of a shock." 

"You didn't even _say_ anything. I wasn't sure you'd want me here when you got back." 

"Oh, so we've been partners for over three years and I'm just going to kick you out on your ass?" 

Blair mumbled something inaudible, his head down. 

" _What_ did you just say?" 

"I said, 'It's happened before.'" 

"Oh, that's good, Sandburg. It's also exactly why it won't happen now. I learn from my mistakes." 

"So, you really don't want me here anymore." 

Jim got up, advancing on his roommate very quickly and almost silently. "Do not put words in my mouth." 

Wide-eyed, Blair nodded, never once removing his gaze from Jim's face. "Okay." Evil thoughts of what he would like to put in that mouth taunted him. 

His brow creasing, Jim placed a forearm against the door as he bent down to sniff the hair around his friend's neck. "I thought you were sleeping on Sam's couch." 

"I was, Jim." 

Tilting his head as if listening for something, Jim's brow furrowed for a moment, his expression then easing somewhat. "I smell her on you." 

"I was at her place." 

"I smell her on you," he repeated, clearly not yet convinced. 

"She gave me a hug before I left and wished me luck." 

Their faces were close enough to exchange breath. "You told _her_?" 

"No, Jim. Calm down." Blair unconsciously pressed his hands against his friend's chest. "She just knows we had an argument and what you can be like on a rampage. She _does_ work at the PD." 

Leaning back, Jim nodded. "Fair enough." Stepping away, he said, "I'm going to bed." 

Blair watched his roommate cross to the stairs, where he stopped long enough to say, "Wash her off," before ascending. Allowing a small smile to make its way onto his face, he mentally yelled, "YES!" 

* * *

The next morning, Jim walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, one hand securely holding it in place. 

"Morning, Jim." Blair's eyes feasted on the flawless expanse of flesh displayed before them. "Breakfast will be ready in five." 

"Morning." Looking at his friend, he curtly asked, "What are you doing?" 

Clarity returned to Blair's brain as he met the clear blue eyes dissecting him. "Oh, uh." 

"Yes?" Jim's voice tightly queried. 

Blair held the cool gaze steadily. "I was just admiring the view. Nothing wrong with looking, man." 

Slightly shaking his head, irritation pushed Jim's words. "What do you want from me here?" 

"I don't want anything _from_ you. I just want you." Shrugging, he turned and walked back into the kitchen area. "You'd better move or your cholesterol laden breakfast is going to get cold." 

Huffing, Jim headed toward the stairs, the loud steps stretching the younger man's lips into a victorious grin. 

A few minutes later, Jim arrived at the table. Blair's breath caught when he saw the outfit the other man wore. Tight black jeans accentuated every well toned curve from waist to ankle, while the black t-shirt he had worn in Peru outlined the chiseled physique from neck to belt. 

Jim noticed the frozen form of his partner. " _What_?" 

Blair's eyes flicked up to his friend's and then back down to the body worthy of an artist's sculpture. 

"Oh, for crying out loud, Sandburg. Would you quit looking at me like I'm breakfast already?" 

"Sorry, man. You just, uh, you look really good. Didn't mean to gawk." 

"Forget it." Walking to the refrigerator, Jim retrieved the orange juice and then got two glasses from the cabinet. Sitting down, he noted Sandburg's drink. "Since when do you drink beer this early?" 

His apologetic demeanor gone, Blair's confident gaze cut the distance between them. "Since I felt like having one." 

Raising a brow and nodding, Jim placed bacon onto his plate. He followed that with two slices of toast and two eggs. Finally, he poured himself a glass of juice. "Thanks for the breakfast, Chief." 

"Not a problem," he answered from behind his newspaper, the sudden tension between them thicker than molasses. 

* * *

Chatting happily with Rhonda, Blair completely missed his partner's rigid posture. Jim's white knuckled grip on the pencil in his hand drew the always curious attention of Detective Brown. 

"You're such a sweetie, Blair. Thanks for helping me out." Rhonda moved in for a hug, which he turned into full body contact with the smooth skill of practice. 

Flinching at the "mmm" sound rumbling his partner's chest at sentinel level, Jim snapped the pencil in two. Not giving Brown's approach any notice, he continued to glare a hole through his younger friend. 

The other detective slapped him on the back, cheerfully jabbing. "You do realize that destruction of government property is a crime, right?" 

"Thanks for the tip, H. I'll keep that in mind." 

Following the cool gaze, Brown asked, "Okay. What did Hairboy do this time?" 

"Nothing that can't be handled." 

* * *

Jim returned home from picking up dinner to find his friend sitting on the couch with his legs tucked under him. Glasses perched on his nose, he absorbed himself in the book he held in his hands. 

Jim took advantage of his preoccupation, allowing himself to really _look_ at Blair for the first time. He sat on the couch, relaxed, but still looking date ready. Hair down and not one out of place, it brushed his shoulders ever so slightly as he followed the words across the page. The heather grey t-shirt grazed over enticing chest hair with a quiet crinkling sound as he reached to turn to the next page, the open blue flannel shirt falling even farther apart. Soft, faded denim jeans hugged the lean yet well muscled thighs, leading Jim's eyes to the full package that filled out the crotch. 

Feeling his cock begin to stir, the older man barked, "Sandburg, food's going to get cold if you sit there all night." 

Blair jumped, startled by his friend's presence. "Sorry, man. I didn't hear you come in." 

"Well, I did," was all he could think of to say while his blood pooled somewhere south of his belt. 

"We don't all have sentinel hearing, you know," Blair commented light-heartedly, his shirt brushing Jim's arm as he breezed past to get plates for them. 

"Lucky you." 

"Aw, come on, Jim. We've been over this." He gestured with the plates in his hands. "What you have is a _gift_." 

"It doesn't feel like one sometimes," he grumbled. 

"Like when?" 

"Drop it." 

"No, I want to know, Jim. Please?" 

_Damn husky voice and puppy dog eyes._ Standing straight, he unpacked the food from the bag. "You've heard me bitch about being able to smell the garbage dump from a few miles away, right?" 

Blair enthusiastically nodded. "Yeah, man." 

"Speaking of smell, why are you wearing cologne sitting at home?" A twinge of apprehension squeezed his stomach. "You got a date?" 

Shrugging, Blair donned his most innocent expression. "Nope, just felt like wearing some. Hope it's not too much. I tried to put it on really light." 

"No, it's okay." _It smells fucking good, especially mixed with you._

"Good. Back to what you were saying?" 

"Oh, yeah. Well, sometimes it's not just the bad things that get to you. You can smell or see things..." 

"I don't understand what you're getting at, Jim." 

"Okay." He anchored his feet shoulder width apart in what Blair called his "preaching" stance. "Say you're really hot for this student in one of your classes." 

Blair shook his head. "I wouldn't date a student. It would be unethical." 

"This is hypothetical. Go with me here, huh?" 

"Okay. Hypothetically." 

"Right. So, you're trying to teach your class when her scent starts getting to you. You're trying to think up there and you're suddenly sporting wood." 

"Okay. I've got a hard on," Blair huskily commented, flushing a little as his friend's gaze automatically dropped. 

Swallowing, Jim's voice grew a tad hoarse. "Right. Not only that, but you can almost see through the thin shirt she's wearing. Her nipples are hard and you get that weird feeling that hits you when pheromones are affecting you. She's hot for you, no doubt about it. Theoretically, you could use the dials to turn it down..." He let his words drift off, grinning in a nudge-nudge-wink-wink sort of way. 

"Theoretically," Blair agreed, returning the grin. 

"Yeah, but you really want this input whether you like it or not, so the dials don't work like they should when your partner is there to guide you through it." 

"I see." 

"So, my point is that I've got every bit as much sex drive as you do, Junior, and it doesn't help having these senses." 

"That would be tough." Expression thoughtful, Blair excitedly gazed back at his friend. "So, do you jerk off, like, every day? Twice a day? Three times a day?" 

"Whoa, Sandburg. A man has to have some privacy here. I'm _not_ answering that." 

"You're a tease, man." Blair retrieved two bottles of cold water from the refrigerator and sat down. 

Jim's only response was a wicked smirk. 

* * *

The next morning after finishing the breakfast dishes, Blair leaned his hip against the kitchen counter. "So, Jim?" 

He looked up from the newspaper. "Yeah?" 

"Have your senses ever ganged up on you when it comes to me?" 

"Chief." 

"Come on, Jim. We were talking about it last night." 

"We were talking hypothetically and about _women_ last night." 

"Oh, I see. You _were_ just teasing me then." 

"Sandburg--" 

"You know, you're a real prick sometimes." Grabbing his backpack, Blair headed for the door, slamming it behind him. 

Moving to the window, Jim watched his partner climb into the passenger side of the truck. Feeling like shit, he realized that he had done exactly that. His harmless fun wasn't so harmless after all since he had no intention whatsoever of following through. Sighing, he walked to the door, shrugging a light jacket on to cover his weapon. 

Climbing into the truck, he sat with his hands on the steering wheel. Turning to his friend, he laid a hand on his shoulder. "Blair, I'm sorry." 

He looked out the passenger window at their parking lot. "Whatever." 

"I didn't mean to lead you on, not consciously anyway. I just wanted things to be the way they used to be." 

"It's not gonna happen, Jim. The cat's out of the bag. I can't take it back. You know how I feel." 

"I can live with that. I just want..." 

"You want me to pretend that I'm not in love with you. Look, your het reputation is safely intact. I mean, humiliating your best friend is a small price to pay for that, right?" 

"Chief, I..." 

Blair attempted to feign casual nonchalance and failed by a long shot. "Don't sweat it. You're not the first and you probably won't be the last." 

"Damn it." Jim squeezed his friend's shoulder, the fact that he caused the pain killing him. 

"Get your paws off me, Detective." 

His jaw dancing along with the muscle in his neck, Jim turned away and started the truck. 

* * *

"All right," Simon barked, sitting with his hands folded on his desk, viciously biting the cigar in his mouth. "You two aren't even listening. Forgive me if doing your _job_ is inconveniencing you, Ellison." 

The detective sat up straighter, his mind fighting to stay focused. "Sorry, sir. You were saying?" 

"Never mind what I was saying." He laid the cigar down, then circled the desk, leaning against it with his hands in his pockets. "I don't like what I'm seeing here." 

"What do you mean?" Jim asked, thinking that his partner would not contribute. 

"Oh, I don't know. You two usually live in each other's space, but right now being in the same room is too close. You don't look at each other. You're not talking. You're not working together. What's going on?" 

"It's personal, sir." 

"No, it's not. It's affecting your work. You can't function as a team if you won't communicate." The captain's voice gradually grew more terse with each word. 

"We'll work on it, Simon," Blair finally ventured from his place by the window. 

"You're going to do better than that. I'm giving you the rest of the day off. I don't know what's eating at the two of you, but I expect you to go home and fix it." 

"One day isn't..." Jim started. 

"That was not a request, _Detective_. You go home and you talk to your partner. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Standing to his full height, Simon bluntly communicated that the only acceptable answer was "Yes, sir." 

"Crystal, sir." 

"Good." He made a shooing motion at them with his hands. "Send Conner in on your way out." 

"Very good, sir," Jim said, standing. 

* * *

When they got home, Blair headed straight to his room. Two hours later, they still had not spoken one word to each other. Jim's eyes focused on the French doors, however, when he heard clothes being stuffed into something. Standing, he walked to the doors and knocked. 

"Go away." 

"Chief, I need to talk to you. Simon said--" 

"Simon's _your_ boss, not mine." 

"I need to talk to you." He heard a rushed exhalation and the doors opened. 

"Come on in." 

Jim stepped inside, leaning against the wall to stay out of the way. "Are you? Are you leaving?" 

Surprised, Blair looked back over his shoulder, his mouth falling open. "No. You thought..." Suddenly looking very tired, the younger man plopped down onto the bed. "No, Jim. I was just cleaning." 

"You hate cleaning," he indignantly remarked. 

"I hate this..." Blair gestured between the two of them. "... _thing_ between us now, too." 

"This thing." 

"Yeah, man." He ran a hand through mussed curls. "This distance." 

"Me, too." 

Blair looked squarely at the other man. "I just don't get it. I mean, I know it's not that you don't care about me. Is it just that I'm a guy or am I not your type?" 

"Chief..." 

"No," he stubbornly said, holding up a hand. "I don't want your pity. I just want to know what the problem is. At first, I thought you were playing hard to get, but you've kept me at a distance long enough that I think there's a real problem here." 

When Jim didn't speak, Blair continued. "I mean, if I'm not your type, that's cool. I've noticed the kind of guys you normally look at and they're muscular, usually bigger than you. I've seen you practically drool all over yourself when Simon goes all hardass." On a roll, he babbled on as his friend's face developed a faint flush. "I can't fault you if you like 'em big and strong 'cause I do, too, but you probably know that." 

"Yeah, I know that." Jim pushed away from the wall with his shoulders. "It's not you." 

Blair pressed his lips together and nodded. "Then what?" 

Jim's eyes glazed, focusing elsewhere. "Being with a man is, well, you know how intense it can be." 

"Uh, no. Actually I was hoping you could show me." His voice quavered slightly as he braved lifting his eyes to regard his partner's face. 

His gaze rejoining the present and meeting his friend's, Jim asked, "You've never?" 

"I've never been with another man. You're the only one that I've ever met that really got to me." 

"Got to you?" 

"Yeah. You're under my skin like this rash that won't go away, only it's a good kind of rash most of the time." He smiled slightly, shrugging. 

"I'm a rash." 

Blair grinned at the disgusted expression on the other man's face. "What were you saying about being with a man?" 

Nodding, Jim allowed himself to be steered back to the topic at hand. "It's a guilty pleasure that I haven't allowed myself to indulge in since my army days, since Incacha." 

"You and Incacha were _lovers_?!" 

A tender smile graced the strong face. "Yeah," he sighed. 

"I _knew_ there was something up with the way he smiled at you." 

Jim nodded again. "My point is that it's dangerous to be a gay man. It's not something that can be taken lightly." 

"I'm with you on that. What? You think I want to be out when this is something so new to me?" 

"I didn't know it was new to you until just a minute ago, Einstein. You seem pretty comfortable with the idea." 

"Well, yeah." Blair shrugged. "I never judge people for who they love. I mean, people are people, right?" 

"Right." 

"So, you thought I was going to want everybody to know about us?" The younger man peered up at his friend. 

"I didn't know and I've seen what it does to a relationship when one partner gets it in his head that the other is ashamed of him." 

"Jim, you've stood up for me against your friends. I _know_ you're not ashamed of me." 

"Good, because if we were in a relationship, that would destroy it. I'm in the closet until the day I die. I have no intention of ever coming out." 

"That's cool with me. So, why haven't you been with another man in so long if it's something that you want so badly?" 

"I haven't found anybody I was attracted to that I trusted enough," Jim answered with complete honesty. 

"Oh." Blair's shoulders slumped and his gaze slid to the floor. 

"Until now." 

Blair's posture straightened. "Until now?" 

"Yeah." 

"So, what are you saying?" He looked like he was afraid to let himself believe it just yet. 

"I'm waving the white flag here, Chief. If you want me, you've got me. I just had to make you understand that it will be just between us from here on out." 

"I can do that." 

"Can you?" 

"I'll have to because not being with you is no longer an option." 

"Okay." 

* * *

The two men worked together cleaning up Blair's room, almost acting afraid to finally touch each other now that they could. After finishing, they ate a short lunch and settled onto the couch to watch some television. Jim rested his arm on Blair's shoulders, pulling him close so that their bodies fit snugly against one another. 

Sighing happily, Blair moved his head to his friend's shoulder. When Jim kissed him on the forehead, he silently looked up at him. 

"You do want to be lovers, right? We are on the same page here, I hope." 

"Same paragraph, man." Blair cuddled close again. 

Tugging the younger man toward his lap, Jim asked, "Why don't you come over here?" 

Blair stood and climbed onto the couch, straddling Jim's legs. Sitting his rear on the other man's knees, he placed sweaty palms on his own thighs, waiting. 

Jim began to unbutton his new lover's flannel shirt, saying "Yeah." 

"Huh?" Blair looked up from watching his hands. 

"You asked me if my senses ever ganged up on me with you. The answer is yes." 

His eyes shining, Blair asked, "When?" 

"Lots of times, Chief, but mostly when you were just out of the shower." 

Smiling dreamily, Blair wrapped his arms around Jim's neck, sliding forward until their groins nestled against one another. 

Groaning, Jim mumbled, "You're trying to kill an old man, aren't you?" 

"Shut up and kiss me, old man." 

More than willing to oblige, Jim curled his arms around his lover. Beginning with a gentle kiss to Blair's nose, he squeezed the trembling body to reassure. Moving down to the full lips starring in his wet dreams, he ever so lightly brushed his own against them. When the younger man moaned and grasped two hands full of the back of his t-shirt, he allowed his hunger to surface. Pushing through the lips without hesitation or request, he playfully teased the other man's tentative tongue. Eventually breaking the kiss, he pulled back. "Are you okay with this?" 

His eyes finally meeting Jim's, Blair uttered, "Uh...uh-huh," and managed a half-hearted nod. "I'm just not quite sure what I'm supposed to do." 

"Do you want me to drive this time?" 

"Yeah." Blair's face reddened only enough for a sentinel to see as he looked down at the other man's chest. 

"Hey." Jim tilted his lover's head back up. "Don't be embarrassed. I'm honored that you're willing to try this with me." 

"I want to do more than try. I just don't know how to go about it." 

"I'll teach you. We finally found something _I_ can teach _you_." Grinning playfully, Jim tugged on the younger man's shirt. 

Blair laughed, some of the tension draining from his face. 

"Do you want to take this to a bed? I want your first time to be comfortable." 

"We stay on the couch. I want you here." 

"Okay. Enough talk." 

"Yeah, talk is _way_ overrated and you've always been an action oriented guy." 

Smiling, Jim kissed his friend again, still trying on the feeling of holding this strong man, being held by him. Humming happily into the sinfully tempting neck, he nuzzled the skin there, licking the bobbing Adam's apple. A deep groan caressed his ears as Blair filled all his senses almost to the point of overwhelming them, his cock filling rapidly. 

Loosening his grip on his lover, Jim pushed him back slightly, smiling to erase the betrayed expression. He reached for the flannel shirt again, holding it up so that the other man understood that he needed space between them to get rid of it. 

Slowly undoing the buttons, Jim said, "You worked your way past every one of my defenses, Chief. It would take a hell of a lot to make me reject you now, so don't even think about it." 

Blair nodded a bit hesitantly. Momentarily letting go of the buttons, Jim raised a hand to wrap around the curve of the younger man's neck, stroking the stubbled cheek with his thumb. Satisfied that his lover received the message, he returned to undressing him. 

Making short work of the shirt and discarding the tee underneath it, Jim ran both palms over the abundant fur on his lover's chest. Delighting in the feel of it, he leaned forward and rubbed his bristled jaw over it as well. The individual hairs massaging his face, he grinned at the gasp when his rough whiskers grazed a nipple. 

"Oh, God." Blair squeezed Jim's muscular shoulders. 

"Like that, huh?" the older man asked, his lips surrounding the hardening bud. 

"Like a bolt of lightning wired to my cock," he choked out. 

"Mmm." Sucking the rosy skin, Jim teased the tip with his tongue, promising things still to come. Reaching lower, he flattened his palm on the erection stretching the denim of Blair's pants. When he pressed hard against it, the younger man husked the sexiest moan that he had ever heard. 

Unfastening the button and lowering the zipper, Jim instructed, "Stand up." 

Blair did as ordered, holding himself still as Jim slipped his warm hands underneath the fabric. Gaining his feet, he cupped the firm ass and pulled the younger man against him, pressing their groins together as they kissed. Forcibly pulling himself away, he kneeled, pushing the denim the rest of the way down. 

Stepping out, Blair waited. Jim reached for his underwear, slowly sliding them down the leanly muscled legs until they too fell to the floor. Hungrily drinking his lover in from shoulder to ankle, he said, "Damn, you're gorgeous." 

Blair laughed. "And you're _way_ overdressed, man." 

Jim's eyes were hot with desire as he rose. "Why don't you do something about that, Sandburg?" 

Determinedly meeting his larger lover's eyes, Blair stepped toward Jim, pushing his arms out to his sides a bit. Tugging the tight t-shirt out of the jeans, he pulled it over the other man's head. Immediately returning to his task, he unbuttoned, unzipped, and tugged the jeans off in record time. 

Grinning at Jim, he lowered the red silk boxers with a quirked brow. "Thought you were a cotton man." 

"Silk feels better." 

"Every day or just when you're horny?" 

Jim's only response was to smile and pull his lover back to his feet. Placing his palms on the other man's ass, he pulled them together, cocks lazily batting at each other. The height difference did create a problem, however, because the tip of Blair's rubbed against the middle of Jim's shaft. 

Feeling dominant, Jim shoved his lover, sending him sprawling onto the couch. Kneeling between the spread thighs, he leaned forward and captured the nipple that he neglected earlier, circling the areola with his tongue. The skin smooth under coarse hair, he nipped at the stiffening bud, pinching the other peak between thumb and forefinger. A seductive moan pierced the air, his own cock twitching with anticipation. 

The other hand dropped to fondle heavy, hot balls, their sac surprisingly sparse of hair unlike the member above them, nestled in a dense patch of curls. Moving his hand higher, he enclosed the steel shaft, squeezing lightly. Blair whimpered, attempting to thrust into the tight fist which allowed him no movement. 

" _Jim_ , come on..." 

Raising his head to speak with his lips against Blair's, he mumbled, "Oh, you'll come, but when I'm damn good and ready to make you." 

"Oh, God." 

"Mmm. You like being told what to do." Jim made it a statement and Blair's eyes widened, his hips pushing against the unyielding fist more fervently. "Don't worry, Chief. I won't make you beg. It doesn't work with me." Grinning evilly, he moved his mouth to the side, nibbling at his lover's jaw, the whiskers scratching fire across his sensitive tongue. 

Blair's head lolled back, his chest rising and falling laboriously. Grappling at the cushions, he licked his dry lips, attempting to thrust one last time to no avail. 

Smirking, Jim dropped the hand tormenting nipples that would be sore later to once again fondle burning balls. Caressing, massaging, and teasing, he held the cock firm, liquid oozing from the slit onto his hand. Bending over, he swirled his tongue over the spongy tip, reveling in the sudden jerk. 

"Ah, God, Jim. Please..." 

"I told you begging doesn't work," he mumbled around the wet skin, chuckling at the desperate whine. 

Sighing his acquiescence, Blair relaxed, waiting until his lover decided to stop torturing him. The surrender all he wanted, Jim loosened his grip to slowly pump the pulsing cock. The younger man thrusted, the force growing stronger when his lover allowed him that small concession. 

"You know what feels good to you, so you can start with that to pleasure another man." 

Blair whimpered, attempting to nod but not quite making it. Jim lowered his head once again, letting the hard member go in favor of swallowing it. At first, he just formed a loose 'O' around the throbbing length, wetting it. When he added a bit of suction, Blair's hands carded their way into his short hair, petting him. Soon, encouraged by the slightly bitter, salty taste of his lover, he wanted more. Hollowing his cheeks, he sucked hard, feeling the balls draw up. As the other man hovered on that cliff, he stopped, his own cock rejoicing in the sob that echoed in his eardrums. Deciding he'd teased enough, he moved his mouth all the way down the shaft until his nose rested in the wiry hair. Relaxing his throat, he made swallowing movements, tantalizing the sensitized head until his lover screamed, spraying thick liquid. 

After finding himself again, Blair said three words. "OH. MY. GOD." 

Jim chuckled huskily. "I take it that you liked it." 

"OH. MY. GOD." Still catching his breath, he said, "I'm your love slave. I'll do whatever you want." 

Full out laughing, Jim replied, "You can take care of this." He rubbed his erection against Blair's leg, the hardness enough to shatter diamonds. "Slave." 

Nodding with an impish grin, the younger man pushed himself onto shaky legs, pointing to the couch. "Lie down." 

Jim stood, pumping his own erection once only to have his hand slapped away. "Uh-uh. Two can play at that game." 

"I don't like to be teased," Jim warned. 

"Tough. I said lie down." 

His blood singing through his veins at Blair in butch mode, Jim landed on his back in mere seconds. The younger man lay down on top of him, rubbing his flaccid, damp cock against the rod between the older man's legs. "I'm a good student, man. Tell me if I do it wrong." 

Jim nearly wailed as Blair rubbed their evening stubble against each other while humping their groins together, the ecstasy of the dual sensations nearly overwhelming. Moving his mouth down to his lover's neck, the younger man licked the area just to the side and below his Adam's apple. Biting gently, he then sucked, leaving a bright passion mark that the older man could only cover with a turtleneck. 

"Chief," Jim moaned, his hands weaving through the tangled curls of his lover. 

"Patience, man. I'll let you come... sooner or later." 

Jim felt the lips curl into a sadistic grin against his throat before his lover's body shifted and that wonderful humping stopped. He whimpered at the loss, groaning loudly as small teeth raked back and forth, holding his nipple hostage between them, almost but not quite biting. 

"Damn." 

Blair ran his fingers over Jim's abdomen, the touch light enough to ripple the hard muscles. He pressed firmly enough not to tickle, but not enough to eliminate the threat. Jim groaned at the discomfort, his cock silently begging. 

Without warning, Blair bit down on the nipple in his mouth and the older man yelled, "Again!" He obliged his lover, closing his teeth over the nub once more, careful not to break the skin. 

"Gonna, gonna come." 

"Oh, no, you're not," Blair matter of factly stated. Raising up onto all fours and effectively removing all stimulation except for the current of air Jim hunched at, he unabashedly smiled at the whimper of loss and totally open expression on his lover's face. 

Moving himself farther down, he bent his head forward to tongue bathe Jim's abs, giving his desire a chance to cool off. The older man groaned and Blair moved between his legs, his breath stirring the curls around his cock. 

Jim lifted his head. "Wha--why'd you stop?" 

"Relax, man." He lapped briefly at the oversensitized head. "We'll eventually get there." 

His hips surging, Jim yelled, "I don't fucking want to relax!" 

"Temper, temper," Blair taunted, wagging his finger back and forth. 

Clenching his jaw, Jim flung his head down onto the cushion, fists balled up at his sides. He would have to think twice before teasing this man again. 

Wrapping his arms around powerful thighs in an attempt to immobilize them somewhat, Blair continued to lap at the angry erection, careful not to provide too much stimulation to any one area. He licked the clear liquid, brow furrowing as he contemplated the taste. Circling the head with his lips, he began to bob up and down the long length. 

"Tongue, Chief." 

Following the instructions, Blair swirled his tongue around the tip that wanted so very desperately to explode, the balls trying to sneak up closer to Jim's body. Without missing a beat, the younger man released a thigh and tugged the heavy sacs back down a little, his lover violently punching the back of the couch in response. 

"My balls. Squeeze them." 

Nodding his understanding as well as he could with such a mouthful, Blair pressed lightly at first, continuing to send Jim to heaven and back with his inexperienced yet talented mouth. 

"More," Jim husked, his voice rougher than sandpaper scraping rust. 

Wrapping his strong hand around the scrotum, Blair granted the request, smiling at his lover's relieved sigh and the possessive hand now directing the movements of his head with gentle pressure. 

"So good. Gonna come so good." 

"Yes, you are," Blair said around the hard organ, the vibrations making the large man shudder helplessly. Teasing the sensitive underside, he firmed his suction just enough to make Jim come long and hard. 

His body convulsing, the older man yelled, "Unh!" as he flooded his lover's mouth. Years. That's how long it had been since anyone played his body like that. 

* * *

After a few minutes to gather their wits, the two men managed to stumble up the stairs and collapse onto the bed. Jim lay on his back with Blair's head on his shoulder, arm and leg slung greedily over his body. 

"Jim?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Did I do okay?" 

"Chief, if you keep making love to me like that, I'll never let you out of bed." 

Blair traced circles around a tired nipple. "Making love?" 

"Maybe I assumed too much, but in the truck this morning you said..." 

Placing a finger on the spluttering lips, Blair gently kissed the edge of the jaw. "I meant what I said in the truck, Jim." 

The breath the older man released lightly blew Blair's curls, strong arms hugging him tighter to the large body. "I feel the same way." 

"Good." 

"So, how do you want to work this?" 

"Work what?" Blair raised his head to spy a glance at his lover. 

"Do you still want to... see other people?" Jim asked, staring at the ceiling. 

"No." 

"No?" Smiling brightly enough to melt even the coldest heart, Jim made Blair fall in love with him all over again. 

"No," he breathed, laying his head back down on the strong shoulder. "You?" 

"Uh-uh." Jim shook his head so slightly that Blair would have missed it had he not felt the muscles under his own head shift. 

They lay in bed for a while after that, enjoying the warmth and closeness of their bodies and the rightness of it all, both dozing slightly. "Jim?" 

"Mmm-hmm?" the older man sleepily rumbled. 

"When Incacha passed the way of the Shaman on to me, was he giving me the right to be your lover as well?" 

His lips turning up into a languid smile, Jim kissed the other man's forehead. "'Night, Chief." 

"'Night, Jim." Sighing, sleep pulled him under. 

Suddenly, he no longer lay in his lover's strong arms, but stood in a jungle dense with vegetation. Blinking his eyes against the bright sunlight, he saw an old stone building with carvings resembling the ones in the pictures of the temple of the sentinels. Confused, his heart rate spiked when he saw the door with the eye engraved into it. 

"Jim?" he called, his voice tinged with panic. 

"Do not fear, young shaman," a deep, husky voice told him. 

"Incacha? Where are you?" 

The Chopec warrior stepped out from behind a beam at the top of the steps to the temple. 

"You're dead." His mind raced, unable to latch onto anything else. 

"Only in flesh, young one. What do you seek?" 

Remembering his lover's evasiveness before they fell asleep, he avoided the warrior's warm gaze. "Um, are sentinel and shaman destined to become lovers?" 

The friendly face tilted back as Incacha laughed from deep within, his sparkling eyes full of mischief. "Sentinel and shaman must be compatible to form their bond. They must complement one another. There are many kinds of love. The form it takes is entirely up to you." 

At that, the younger man's gaze returned to the other man. "So, Jim and I weren't fated to fall in love?" 

"As I said, the decision is for sentinel and shaman to make." 

"Cool." Blair began to back up as Incacha descended the steps. 

The warrior stopped in front of him, placing his hands on Blair's shoulders in an eerily familiar gesture. "I knew what you and Enquiri meant to each other before either of you did." 

"But how?" 

"Handle his heart carefully, young one. Enquiri has enough love and passion to burn you alive, but he does not handle rejection well." 

"Don't I know it! Seems like everyone in his life turned on him or died." 

Incacha bowed his head sadly at that. 

"I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean you." Blair placed his palms lightly against the warm back, loosely embracing. 

Smiling wistfully, the warrior leaned forward, brushing his lips over Blair's, the love that passed through the kiss almost orgasmic in its intensity. "Take care of him, Blair. He needs you." Stroking the younger man's cheek, the shaman faded and disappeared. 

"Incacha? Incacha!" 

The next thing Blair knew, Jim shook him hard in their bed. "Chief, wake up damnit!" The older man's voice sounded terrified. 

"Huh?" Startled blue eyes opened, blinking rapidly. 

"Are you all right? You kept screaming Incacha's name." 

Blair touched his own lips. "He kissed me." 

"What?! You saw him? When?" 

"I had a vision and I think he was passing the love he felt for you to me." 

Jim suddenly sat very still, his face downcast. 

"You miss him." 

Nodding minutely, the older man agreed. 

"I'm sorry, Jim." Blair climbed onto his lover's lap and curled his arms and legs around him. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." 

"S'okay, Chief. They're not all bad." 

"Will you tell me sometime? Some of the good ones, I mean." 

"Maybe." For once, Jim lay his head on Blair's shoulder. 

The two men held onto each other, embracing as if the world itself would crumble the moment they dared to separate. On the floor at the foot of the bed, a black panther lay on its belly, tail curled up behind it. A grey wolf stood crouched over the length of the cat's body, its muzzle nuzzling the feline's head. 

* * *

End Games of the Heart by XFreak: XFreak1@aol.com

Author and story notes above.

  
Disclaimer: _The Sentinel_ is owned etc. by Pet Fly, Inc. These pages and the stories on them are not meant to infringe on, nor are they endorsed by, Pet Fly, Inc. and Paramount. 


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